A Solar Eclipse Will Mostly Blot Out the Sun in St. Louis This Saturday

It will be a partial eclipse, but it's still totally eerie

Oct 11, 2023 at 1:54 pm

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No, that's not the moon. That's the sun during a solar eclipse as viewed from South City.

PHOTO BY DANNY WICENTOWSKI

No, that's not the moon. That's the sun during a solar eclipse as viewed from south St. Louis.

There's something special about seeing the moon blot out the sun — for a few minutes, at least. Which explains why, year after year, crowds gather around the world to do just that, with some even traveling for the pleasure.

This weekend, the U.S. will experience a solar eclipse, and Missourians can check out the phenomenon for themselves — and won't even have to travel to do so. The eclipse takes place on Saturday, October 14, beginning shortly after 11 a.m. CDT and ending in Texas a little after noon CDT, according to NASA.

Missouri will only experience a partial solar eclipse, and depending where you are in the state, you'll see about a 50 to 60 percent eclipse. According to NASA's interactive map, you should be able to watch from 11:11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., with peak coverage at 11:56 p.m.

The thing about a partial solar eclipse, though, is that there will be even more sunlight than usual. So don't even think about trying to watch without eye protection. Squinting will not cut it. You need to be wearing eclipse glasses (which you can pick up at the Science Center) or to view it using a pinhole projector (find instructions here on building one).

Finally, if you don't catch Saturday's show, don't fear it's your last chance. St. Louis will see another eclipse — this one a total — on April 8, 2024.